how to succeed as a ux research manager€¦ · collaboration skills do good research & uncover...

How to succeed as a UX Research Manager

Capitalizing on your strengths as a Researcher

The UX LIVE Conference 2019

Monal Chokshi(@monalchokshi)

November 2019

🙌

Questions for you

Dot.com Startups

Dot.com Startups

Dot.com Startups

Dot.com Startups

Dot.com Startups

UX Researchers do make great managers.

UX Researchers do make great managers. 🙌

In this talk...

• What makes for a good manager?

• Three parts to managing

• Why UX Researchers make great managers

What makes for a good manager?

Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook

Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook

[Managers] share a common purpose: helping a group of people achieve a common goal. [...] A great manager’s team will consistently achieve great outcomes.

“

“Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders”Harvard Business Review, 2013

Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal.

Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward

organizational success.

“

“Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders”Harvard Business Review, 2013

Mia BlumeDesign Leadership Coach; CEO of Design Dept

Management is a role. Leadership is how you show up.

“

Management Leadership

Management Leadership

Organizes

Delegates

Plans

Management Leadership

Influences

Motivates

Excites

Organizes

Delegates

Plans

Management Leadership

SweetSpot

Influences

Motivates

Excites

Organizes

Delegates

Plans

3 parts to managing

MANAGINGDOWN

MANAGINGACROSS

MANAGINGUP

MANAGINGDOWN

MANAGINGACROSS

MANAGINGUP

People & Team MgmtProject & Resource Mgmt

MANAGINGDOWN

MANAGINGACROSS

MANAGINGUP

People & Team MgmtProject & Resource Mgmt

Building relationshipsGarnering influence

People & Team MgmtProject & Resource Mgmt

Building relationshipsGarnering influence

Elevating & advocatingDemonstrating influence

MANAGINGDOWN

MANAGINGACROSS

MANAGINGUP

Managing down

Managing Down

Purpose People Process

Managing Down

Purpose People Process The Work

PurposeMANAGING DOWN

• Setting a Vision

MANAGING DOWN

Improve people’s lives with the world’s best

transportation

Purpose // Setting a Vision

Improve people’s lives with the world’s best

transportation

MANAGING DOWN

Purpose // Setting a Vision

MANAGING DOWN

Purpose // Setting a Vision

We improve people’s lives by driving strategic user-centered decisions for our products and

company.

Through our insights, we align stakeholders and build company-wide user empathy.

PurposeMANAGING DOWN

PurposeMANAGING DOWN

We’ve got this! 🙌🏽

PurposeMANAGING DOWN

Interviewing stakeholders,facilitation skills

We’ve got this! 🙌🏽

• Giving feedback• Developing talent• Building culture

PeopleMANAGING DOWN

People // Giving FeedbackMANAGING DOWN

People // Giving FeedbackMANAGING DOWN

👎 ⏱ 👏

People // Developing TalentMANAGING DOWN

People // Developing TalentMANAGING DOWN

People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN

“High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety”Harvard Business Review, 2017

People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN

Psychological safety allows for moderate risk-taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and sticking your neck out without fear of having it cut off — just the types of

behavior that lead to market breakthroughs.

“

“High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety”Harvard Business Review, 2017

People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN

People // Building CultureMANAGING DOWN

PeopleMANAGING DOWN

We’ve got this!

PeopleMANAGING DOWN

🙌🏻

Empathy, active listening, asking good questions, observation

We’ve got this!

PeopleMANAGING DOWN

🙌🏻

• Planning & Resourcing• Creating processes• Removing blockers

ProcessMANAGING DOWN

Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN

Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN

Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN

Research across lifecycle💪🏻

Embedded team model:

Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN

Research across lifecycle

Go-to expert

💪🏻💪🏽

Embedded team model:

Process // Planning & ResourcingMANAGING DOWN

Research across lifecycle

Go-to expert

Seat at the table

💪🏻💪🏽💪🏿

Embedded team model:

Process // Creating ProcessesMANAGING DOWN

Process // Creating ProcessesMANAGING DOWN

Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook

Julie Zhuo, “The Making of a Manager”VP, Product Design, Facebook

As a manager, part of your job [is] the cultivation of playbooks: how to run a team meeting, how to close a new hire, how to complete a project on time and on budget.

Process // Creating ProcessesMANAGING DOWN

“

Process // Removing BlockersMANAGING DOWN

Process // Removing BlockersMANAGING DOWN

ProcessMANAGING DOWN

ProcessMANAGING DOWN

We’ve got this! 🙌🏾

Research with stakeholders, organizational skills, empathy, communication

ProcessMANAGING DOWN

We’ve got this! 🙌🏾

• Empowering your team• Setting clear expectations

The WorkMANAGING DOWN

“Management Vs. Leadership: Five Ways They Are Different”Forbes, 2016

The Work // Empowering your team MANAGING DOWN

“Management Vs. Leadership: Five Ways They Are Different”Forbes, 2016

Leadership requires you to rely on someone else…. You have to trust their instincts and trust yourself to put your faith in someone who isn't you. That is hard for a lot of managers…

“The Work // Empowering your team MANAGING DOWN

The Work // Setting clear expectations MANAGING DOWN

Image credit: https://hrnasty.com/setting-expecations/

MANAGING DOWN

The Work // Setting clear expectations

The WorkMANAGING DOWN

We’ve got this!

The WorkMANAGING DOWN

🙌🏼

Empathy, synthesis, communication

The WorkMANAGING DOWN

We’ve got this! 🙌🏼

Empowering your teamSetting clear expectations

Setting a Vision Giving feedbackDeveloping talentBuilding culture

Planning & ResourcingCreating processesRemoving blockers

Managing Down

Purpose People Process The Work

Managing across

Managing Across

BuildingRelationships +

Garnering influence

UXR

UXR MarketingInsights

Voice of Customer

Policy Research

Data Science

UXR

Voice of Customer

Policy Research

Data Science

MarketingInsights

Single Voice of

Truth

UXR

Voice of Customer

Policy Research

Data Science

MarketingInsights

Relationships + Garnering InfluenceMANAGING ACROSS

We’ve got this!

Relationships + Garnering InfluenceMANAGING ACROSS

🙌🏿

Empathy, communication, collaboration

We’ve got this!

Relationships + Garnering InfluenceMANAGING ACROSS

🙌🏿

Managing up

Managing Up

Elevating / Advocating +

Demonstrating influence

“What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up” Harvard Business Review, 2015

MANAGING UP

The most important skill to master is figuring out how to be a genuine source of help… creating value for your boss and your company.

“What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up” Harvard Business Review, 2015

“

MANAGING UP

Building relationships⭐

MANAGING UP

Building relationships

Driving visibility

⭐⭐

MANAGING UP

Building relationships

Driving visibility

Demonstrating influence

⭐⭐⭐

MANAGING UP

Building relationships

Driving visibility

Demonstrating influence

Driving strategic business decisions

⭐⭐⭐⭐

MANAGING UP

Building relationships

Driving visibility

Demonstrating influence

Driving strategic business decisions

Evangelizing UXR

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

MANAGING UP

The more we can point to business successes

as a result of our research, the better we’ll do at growing our teams,

and thus help create a more user-centered organization.

MANAGING UP

MANAGING UP

Elevating / Advocating + Influence MANAGING UP

We’ve got this!

Elevating / Advocating + Influence MANAGING UP

🙌

Doing internal research, presenting, storytelling

Elevating / Advocating + Influence MANAGING UP

We’ve got this!🙌

MANAGINGDOWN

MANAGINGACROSS

MANAGINGUP

Internal research, presenting, storytelling

Empathy, communication, collaboration

Internal research, empathy, active listening, synthesis, communication, organizational skills, collaboration, observation, facilitation

MANAGINGDOWN

MANAGINGACROSS

MANAGINGUP

Why UXRs make great managers

Empathy💗

Attributes of UX Researchers

Empathy

Analytical Thinking

💗

Attributes of UX Researchers

Empathy

Analytical Thinking

Organizational skills

💗

📒

Attributes of UX Researchers

Empathy

Analytical Thinking

Organizational skills

💗

📒

Attributes of UX Researchers

Empathy

Analytical Thinking

Organizational skills

Communication & Collaboration skills

💗

📒🤝

Attributes of UX Researchers

Do good research & Uncover deep insights

50%

• Empathy• Analytical Thinking• Organizational skills

Do good research & Uncover deep insights

50%

• Empathy• Analytical Thinking• Organizational skills

• Communication & Collaboration skills

Do good research & Uncover deep insights

Influence & drive decisions

50% 50%

Empathy

Analytical Thinking

Organizational skills

Communication & Collaboration skills

💗

📒🤝

Attributes of UX Researchers

“Decoding leadership: What really matters”McKinsey, 2015

Just 4 kinds of behavior account for

89% of leadership effectiveness

“Decoding leadership: What really matters”McKinsey, 2015

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive “Understand and sense how other people feel…. [By] showing a sincere interest in those around them, they build trust…”

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive Empathy

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive

Solve problems effectively “Problem solving, when information is gathered, analyzed, and considered, precedes decision making.”

(McKinsey, 2015)

89% of Leadership effectivenessBe supportive

Solve problems effectively Analytical Thinking

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive

Solve problems effectively

Operate w/strong results orientation “Emphasize the importance of efficiency and productivity and prioritize the highest-value work.”

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive

Solve problems effectively

Operate w/strong results orientation Organizational Skills

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive

Solve problems effectively

Operate w/strong results orientation

Seek different perspectives “Encourage employees to contribute ideas, [...] give appropriate weight to stakeholder concerns”

89% of Leadership effectiveness

(McKinsey, 2015)

Be supportive

Solve problems effectively

Operate w/strong results orientation

Seek different perspectives Communication & Collaboration

89% of Leadership effectivenessBe supportive Empathy

Solve problems effectively Analytical Thinking

Operate w/strong results orientation Organizational Skills

Seek different perspectives Communication & Collaboration

(McKinsey, 2015)

We’ve got this! 🙌🏽

Amaya Becvar WeddleSr Director, MINDBODY

Arianna McClainDirector, UXR, Cruise

Annie K. SteeleHead of Research, Stripe

Gabriel TrionfiUX Research Mgr, Lyft

Amanda LindenDirector, Design, Facebook

Carol RossiDirector, UXR, NerdWallet

Jocelyn LandauDirector, Research, Netflix

Christina JanzerDirector of Research, Slack

Altay SendilHead of Research, Pinterest

Tara FranzUXR Lead, Oculus

Kat MurrayUX Research Mgr, Lyft

Acknowledgements

Thank you!

Monal Chokshi

@monalchokshi